Memories From My Childhood

When I was growing up, I had the privilege of spending my summers on family farms that belonged to my uncles. Both of my parents grew up on farms so there were lots of places to visit and spending time with my cousins was always a lot of fun. The farms were mixed farming operations. That meant there were cows, calves, pigs, chickens and grain. If you read between the lines, it really means that there were chores to do. I learned to feed the cows, pigs, chickens, etc. I also got to help out with other farm tasks like cleaning the barn, weeding the garden (never a favorite...), cutting the grass and hauling hay bales.


Hauling hay bales was always one of my favorite things to do. It was one of the hardest jobs on the farm because it meant long days in the hot sun, lifting heavy bales and then unloading them in either the hayloft or building large stacks in the 'hayfence' that were 45 or maybe even 50 bales high. A good day of hauling bales meant that we left the farm by 7 to be at the hayfield by 7:30 and have our first load of 145 (that's 5 bales high, plus a double row across the top) back at the farm by 10. We tried to be back by 10 so that we could unload and get another load done before lunch. That process would be repeated about 5 or 6 times a day. Sometimes we would go with double racks (250 bales) although I'm not sure why we didn't do that more often.

Before my uncle and I would leave the farm for the field we'd stop by the house and my aunt would send out a large glass jar filled with water and ice, wrapped in heavy brown paper and tied up with baler twine. After our first load was filled we would stop and drink water out of the large glass jar. Water never tasted sweeter or colder. It would run down my chin and get the front of my shirt wet. This was a double bonus because as I rode on the fender of the tractor going back to the farm the breeze would dry it off and I would feel even cooler. As time went on and we became more sophisticated, we would bring a water cooler and drink from paper cups but it was never the same.

The reason for this trip down memory lane today is because near our house are several small hay fields and the farmers are bringing in the first crop. Early this week, they mowed the hay. There's nothing like the smell of freshly mown hay.... Then one day on the way home from work, I noticed that the hay had been raked into swaths. I always like to see the rows across the field. It's just so... geometric... I guess...

Then this past Wednesday, I was bringing the boys home from school and there was a farmer with a tractor and a flatbed trailer loading bales. He was 'setting the load' in the same way my uncles taught me to do it. I became so nostalgic that if I hadn't been in a suit and with the boys, I would have pulled over and asked if I could help load in the hope that he would have offered me a drink of cold water out of a large glass jar.

Maybe he would have have even tossed a few bales right over the rack when it was 4 bales high like my Uncle Jack could do just to show me how strong he was, or tell me some stories about growing up with my dad like my Uncle Willie would do...

I think I've just remember what I really liked about hauling bales... it connected me to the roots that have never left me. Those were good days... hauling bales...

My Singer...

Those of you who know Barb will know that she has an amazing voice and that she is a gifted worship leader. What you may not know is that she has spent the last year working very hard on her Gr. 10 vocal exam for the Royal Conservatory of Music.

She did her exam several weeks ago and got her results this week. In true fashion, her hard work was rewarded with an excellent result. She got 86 on her exam which she tells me is extraordinary. I'm really proud of her and even though I've yet to hear her sing in Italian, French and German, I've promised to sit in the front row for the family concert she will be doing when her mom comes for a visit.

Way to go Barb, we are all proud of you and your wonderful and talented (albeit non-posting) accompanist, Bonnie!

Leading Influence Expands to Ontario

Happy Canada Day! July 1st always makes me proud to be a Canadian! We live in an amazing country. I'm very happy to announce that we are expanding to Ontario effective July 1. Ontario is our largest province and Toronto itself is an economic, media and industry centre. Reaching the leaders of Ontario is critical to seeing a national transformation throughout our country.

We are thrilled to see how God has opened a door to a key province in our nation through a series of what we believe are God ordained events. Pastor Murray Lincoln will be our ministry associate leading the Ontario chapter of Leading Influence Ministries with a clear focus on ministry to elected officials. Pastor Murray has recently concluded his ministry at Northview Pentecostal Church in Peterborough, Ontario and is eager to begin establishing a strong ministry to political leaders. Pastor Murray's long track record of community ministry throughout his distinguished pastoral career has prepared him for this exciting next step. Pastor Murray and his wife Alida have been married for over 40 years and have two daughters and 6 grandchildren.

I want to challenge you to 2 distinct opportunities. The first is to begin to pray for Murray and Alida as they launch out on this entirely faith-based venture. They will need the favour of God to open doors and build bridges as they seek to serve and be a blessing to the leaders of the Provincial Parliament in Ontario.

Secondly I want to invite you to consider sowing a seed into Ontario. The Lincoln's will be raising their own ministry support and your generosity in terms of a special seed offering to help them as they get started will be an enormous blessing and encouragement to them. This tremendous opportunity to serve and reach leaders in Ontario is just another in the series of miracles that God is performing within government across our nation.

BC Cabinet Shuffle

Premier Campbell announced an anicipated Cabinet Shuffle today. Listed below are the names and ministries of the members of the new BC Cabinet. On behalf of our partners, friends and supporters I want to congratulate those who have been named to the cabinet, those who have been re-assigned roles and those who will continue on in their capacity. I also want to encourage our prayer network, friends and supporters to begin to pray for the new cabinet as they assume their responsibilities on behalf of the people of British Columbia.

NEW MINISTERS SWORN IN:

NEW MINISTERS APPOINTED TODAY INCLUDE:
MINISTER OF STATE FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS - HON. JOAN MCINTYRE MINISTER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT - HON. BLAIR LEKSTROM
MINISTER OF HEALTHY LIVING AND SPORT - HON. MARY POLAK
MINISTER OF LABOUR AND CITIZENS' SERVICES - HON. IAIN BLACK
MINISTER OF TOURISM, CULTURE AND THE ARTS - HON. BILL BENNETT

MINISTERS WITH NEW PORTFOLIOS INCLUDE:

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND LANDS - HON. STAN HAGEN
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINING - HON. GORDON HOGG
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OLYMPICS - HON. COLIN HANSEN
MINISTER OF FORESTS AND RANGE - HON. PAT BELL
MINISTER OF HOUSING AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT - HON. RICH COLEMAN
MINISTER OF SMALL BUSINESS AND REVENUE AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR DEREGULATION - HON. KEVIN KRUEGER
MINISTER OF TECHNOLOGY, TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ASIA-PACIFIC INITIATIVE - HON. IDA CHONG

MINISTERS RETAINING EXISTING PORTFOLIOS:
MINISTER OF ABORIGINAL RELATIONS AND RECONCILIATION - HON. MICHAEL DE JONG MINISTER OF ADVANCED EDUCATION AND LABOUR MARKET DEVELOPMENT - HON. MURRAY COELL
ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR MULTICULTURALISM - HON. WALLY OPPAL
MINISTER OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT - HON. TOM CHRISTENSEN MINISTER OF STATE FOR CHILDCARE - HON. LINDA REID MINISTER OF EDUCATION AND MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR EARLY LEARNING AND LITERACY AND DEPUTY PREMIER - HON. SHIRLEY BOND
MINISTER OF ENERGY, MINES AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES - HON. RICHARD NEUFELD MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT - HON. BARRY PENNER
MINISTER OF HEALTH SERVICES - HON. GEORGE ABBOTT
MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOLICITOR GENERAL - HON. JOHN VAN DONGEN MINISTER OF TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE - HON. KEVIN FALCON

A New Blog

I've started a second blog. PrayBC is taking off in a big way and so I thought it was important to have a blog for that part of the ministry. I see God doing something amazing with PrayBC and believe that it could become a catalyst for something transformational in our province over the next year. A second blog makes it easier to communicate the vision with clarity. It also makes the ministry easy to find. So... without further adieu, I'm pleased to present.... The PrayBC Blog! If you are a blogger or ministry leader, please add us to your links. I'll be happy to do the same for you. Click on the logo to get there!

PrayBC Report from Armstrong

From the Armstrong Advertiser - June 11, 2008

A special prayer meeting was held Sunday at Glad Tidings Church as a 'PrayBC' event. Pastor Bruce Brown said it was an opportunity for members of the community to come together as 'we reached up to the heavens in unity, love and respect for this province and community.'

He said it was originally planned to hold PrayBC gatherings across the province during Prayer Week for BC (May 1-7). However, organizers were at meetings in Toronto during that time. Pastor Brown said Tim Schindel with Leading Influence Ministries was instrumental in organizing PrayBC.

4 Levels of Faith

I'm a faith person. I am motivated by faith, inspired by faith and (at the risk of sounding pompous..) I live by faith. My faith is based on God's track record of keeping his promises and my confidence in His abilty to continue to do so.

I'm convinced that faith has 4 levels.

The first level is ... I CAN do it. The bible tells me that I can do 'all things' through Christ. The first step to accomplishing anything is to believe that you can do it. If I don't believe I can do something, then I certainly never will and the end result is that nothing ever changes. Believing isn't always easy, because you have to see past obstacles and beyond challenges and lock on to the goal. At the same time you must block out the cacophony of voices telling you why it can't be done, shouldn't be done or won't be done. Faith isn't fed by a choir, but by confidence in a promise.

The second level of faith is 'I WILL do it.' Something in the core of who we are shifts at this point. When we make a serious commitment to 'doing it', radical changes start to take place in our thinking, priorities and focus. We begin to pull back on areas that no longer fit with our new set of priorities. We begin to 'lighten our load' in anticipation of engaging a new task, goal, project or dream. 'I will do it' is a costly step. It's where we count the cost and determine whether we are willing to pay it. Most great opportunities wither on the vine and die at this point and it's simply because we lack the will to follow through and make our dream a reality.

The third level is 'I AM doing it.' When the seed of Leading Influence Ministries was sown in my heart in 2005, the reality was a long way off. But after a year of living in Victoria, visiting with MLA's, attending the Legislature, launching PrayBC and building a strong ministry foundation, I can say there's nothing quite like seeing the dream come to pass. It's incredibly humbling but it's also very exciting to see what God does and HOW he does it.

The fourth level is 'I DID it.' One day, you get to look back and say 'Hey, we did it...' This level is all about timing and perserverance. Keep your eyes on the prize, but at the same time watch for the wave of opportunity that will propel you forward. If you stick with it, you'll make it.

Whatever dream God has put in your heart, YOU CAN make it happen. If you already have the faith that you can, then strengthen your faith and move to I will. If you believe you will, then start taking consistent action andmove to the level of faith where you know that you know that I am.
Faith is a choice. In the first three levels of faith you move from one level to the next when you choose to.The fourth level is a matter of timing and perseverance.

Feed your faith, starve your fears!

** parts borrowed from Keith Cameron Smith.

PrayBC Report

Back in 1994, I was a part of something amazing. March For Jesus had been happening in Victoria for about 3 years and had become an exciting event in the city. If I remember correctly, '94 was the 'big event' that culminiated with a celebration on the lawn of the BC Legislature. Something like 5000 people filled the grounds to worship, pray and celebrate. In my mind's eye, that's where I see PrayBC one day.

Yesterday marked our first event here in the Capital Region. We had approximately 350 people join us for the day. The weather was perfect. The band was amazing and the flow of the entire event was marked by God's pleasure and presence. I am so grateful to the many volunteers who helped make this happen.

We had guests from Bremerton, WA., San Francisco, CA, Ontario and Austrailia. The gentlemen from Austrailia heard the band playing 'Shout To The Lord' and said, 'That's our song!' so he came over to see what we were doing.

We had some very positive and affirming feedback on the day. NO ONE complained about how loud the music was, (YAY) and several members of the Legislature staff asked if we would come again next year.

At one point as the event was moving along, I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder at what we had begun. I can't help but think of the times in the bible where the people of God began to pray for their nation and what the results were. We'll keep doing PrayBC. The next year presents some incredible opportunities for the church to make a difference on it's knees through the upcoming Municipal elections in BC as well as a general election in just under a year.

What if we stopped singing about it, talking about it and actually did it?? How much fun would it be to see what God would do if we just invited Him into the process? I can't wait to find out!!!

I've got pictures coming of our event that I will post as soon as I get them.

Check back in a few days.

PrayBC Less Than a Week Away!

PrayBC is less than a week away. What began as an idea has become something so much more. We have communities across the province that are joining with us as we worship and pray together for our province. It's going to be an exciting day!

Here's what's happening so far. We have 12 communities that are committed to hosting PrayBC celebrations. If there isn't an event in your community, consider joining up with one in a neighboring community.

Pastors, while it's too late to launch a community event at this point, you might consider taking time during your weekend services to pray along some of the themes that we will be doing in the big events. There are some churches that have opted for this route as it suited their needs better. What matters to us is that we have people participating across the province in this historic event.

Be a part of something big!

Expanding Our Territory

We’ve been asking the Lord to expand the borders of our tent. It’s always interesting to see how God answers that prayer. In our particular case, I was able to speak at the National Conference of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada in Toronto in early May. This was a tremendous opportunity to share about the vision and mission of Leading Influence Ministries.

In addition, I was also able to meet with Mel and Susan Finlay from Nation At Prayer. Mel and Susan are wonderful people that God has laid His hand upon to effect powerful change in our nation. Nation At Prayer is a national prayer ministry that engages leaders at a national level while at the same time supporting and encouraging ministries like ours at a provincial level. You can learn more about Nation at Prayer by visiting their website at www.nationatprayer.ca

What’s even more exciting are the invitations and expressions of interest and support from people we’ve just met. It’s interesting to see how God has been actively at work behind the scenes raising up and aligning ministries that can work together in partnership to minister among the leaders of our nation. speaking to people and preparing their hearts to partner with us as we move this vision forward.

All across our country God is laying a foundation and preparing the ground for a tremendous harvest among the leaders of our provinces and nation and it makes me wonder... God what are you preparing to do in our nation?

A Man On A Leash

I saw something that I’ve never seen before as I had a coffee at Starbucks last night. Just as I was sitting down I saw a couple walking down the sidewalk. For the most part they looked like any other couple. The first thing that made them stand out was that he was carrying a purse that matched her outfit. That struck me as a bit odd, but he’s not the first man I’ve seen carrying a woman’s purse

As they got closer, I thought that my eyes were playing tricks on me and that I really should book an eye appointment soon, but as they got closer what I thought I saw was confirmed. He was wearing a dog collar and she had him on a leash.

Apparently I’ve been a dog owner for too long because my first thought when I realized what was going on was …. Nice leash!! My second thought was WOW! He sure heels a lot better than Zoe does! My third thought was ‘If they were in Langford instead of Victoria, he could be off leash…” (The city of Langford doesn’t require you to have your dog on a leash, only that it be under control and this guy looked pretty well behaved....)

For some of you the thought of a man being led around on a leash is appealing. For others, the thought is mortifying. The thought that comes to me as I write this is that there are people all around you and me who are being led around in the same way that the young man I saw tonight was.

Some are led by selfish desires, some by sinful desires, some by the desire to get ahead, some by the desire to be noticed and seen. Some people allow themselves to be led around in the hope that they will find security, love, identity, or acceptance.

Whatever the case may be in their lives or more importantly in your life, the reality is that is that Jesus makes the very bold statement that ‘He who the Son sets free is free indeed!’ That’s tremendously exciting and liberating. It’s also the only way we can truly live.

We’ve got some great dog walking areas near our house. Zoe usually gets a walk once a day. Because we live on a busy road, we walk her on a retractable leash. It’s not as nice as the one I mentioned earlier, but it does permit her greater freedom. While she gets excited when she sees the leash or hears the word ‘walk’, when we let her off the leash when we get to the park her first response is to run up a hill, down a trail or into the bushes. I think a lot of us respond to being truly free in that same way. We discover new things, new heights and a fresh way of living.

There’s a verse in the Psalms where David writes “I will run in the paths of your commands because you have set my heart free.” Every time I see Zoe run off leash, I’m reminded of that verse, but even more reminded that God intends the same thing for you and me.

Have a good one!